Second Chances
by wickedfae1980
Summary: Stu Bennett realizes how short life is and wonders if he'll ever have a second chance with the woman he loves.
1. Chapter 1

_No, I haven't abandoned "Neighbors", but this story idea came to me and I had to write it. Your favorite girls from Neighbors are here, but their lives and attitudes are different. This is going to be fairly short, both in chapter and story length, but I hope you all enjoy it._

**She's In Love**

_She's in love; Strolling down a one-way street,_

_She's in love, You'd swear her heart has wings._

_She's in love Why can't it be me _

_-Mark Wills 'She's In Love'_

It was a balmy Halloween night at Jackson's Bistro as costumed partygoers filled the room. In one corner, Stu Bennett laughed as several of his friends made comments about some of the costumes. All of a sudden, a petite woman in an elaborate Tudor gown ran through the door and towards the DJ. When she turned back around, both Stu and Drew gasped, drawing the other's attention towards them. Drew was only able to point at the newcomer as the DJ picked up a microphone.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, it gives me great pleasure to introduce a couple that were just married this afternoon. Tonight, they are King Henry and Queen Anne, but everyone let's give a hand to Major and Mrs. James McCallister." As the newlyweds entered the room, Stu felt his heart fall to his stomach at the sight of 'Queen Anne', but he couldn't tear his eyes away from her. Every detail was perfect, from the French hood, to the 'B' necklace to the jeweled shoes. Stu was still staring when one of his closest friends took a seat next to him and shook his head.

"Tis yer own fault for not telling the lass that yeh liked her when yeh had so many chances," Stephen Farrelly commented as he sipped his beer. "Yeh blew it, fella, and Ah hate ta say it, but at least someone's not dumb enough ta make the same mistake yeh did." The two men watched as their other best friend started to dance with the girl he'd wanted for the past two years, the petite redheaded Maid of Honor. From the expression on Michelle Taylor's face, the feeling was completely mutual. Stu and Ste watched as the bride and groom danced with each other and anyone else who asked. After waiting an hour, the Englishman gathered his courage and approached the couple, confident that his identity was concealed behind his Phantom mask.

"Your Majesties," he said in a feigned New York accent and giving a slight bow, "May I have a dance with the lovely Queen Anne?" They both smiled and she bobbed a slight curtsey before allowing Stu to lead her to the dance floor. The next four minutes tested his self control, but soon he was forced to let her go and lead her back to her husband. Stu talked with the couple for a few minutes before returning to his seat. Slumping in his chair, he could see Ste shaking his head as he ordered beers for them both.

"Ah hate ta see yeh tormenting yerself, Stu. Ah'm sorry, but yeh have ta let her go."

"Do you know what the worst part is, mate?" Stu commented bitterly. "I can't even hate him. Her husband seems to be a decent bloke and a blind man can see how much they love each other." He shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. "He was at some of the shows with them, but it never registered that he…that the two of them…" Stu's words trailed off and he shook his head again. Ste gave him a pat on the shoulder as the couple slipped out, followed by Michelle and Drew thirty minutes later.

Over the next month and a half, Stu saw Drew and Michelle grow closer and through them, learned more about the McCallisters. According to the redhead, they had met at Night of Champions and had commenced a long-distance relationship. When James was due for orders, he transferred to Ft. Dix and that's when they got serious. He had proposed at Wrestlemania and they got married six months later. Stu was able to keep his face impassive when Michelle talked, but spent most nights cursing his own stupidity.

_It could have been me standing there with you_

_It could have been me and my dreams coming true_

_But those dreams move on if you wait too long_

_It took me till now to see it could have been me_

_-Billy Ray Cyrus 'Could Have Been Me'_


	2. Chapter 2

**Tribute **

_I'm an American soldier, an American_

_Beside my brothers and my sisters I will proudly take a stand_

_When Liberty's in jeopardy, I will always do what's right_

_I'm out here on the front line Sleep in peace tonight_

_Toby Keith-American Soldier_

"All right, everyone, the commander at Ft. Dix has assigned us several officers to act as liaisons," Paul Levesque called out. He started reading off names and the name of the officer they had been assigned. "Farrelly, Rodriguez, Bennett, Galloway, Brooks, Runnels, Cena and Guerrero, you're with a Major James McCallister." Drew snickered, causing everyone to start looking at him and Paul to start scowling. "Something funny, Galloway?"

"No, just that my Michelle's best friend is Major McCallister's wife." Paul smirked as he looked at the group.

"Well, that should make things easier for all of you." They watched as the General entered with several other officers and Paul began to point out their respective groups. Stu watched through lowered eyes as the other man approached. This was the first opportunity he'd had to take a proper look, as he'd never paid attention at the shows and it had been dark inside Jackson's the night of the wedding. James McCallister was tall, only a couple of inches shorter than Stu, muscular with close-cropped brown hair and piercing blue eyes.

"Good afternoon," James said as he stood there looking at all of them. "Some of you, I've had the honor of meeting," he nodded at Drew, "but I look forward to becoming acquainted with you all. Many of the troops in my squadron are fans of the WWE, as are my wife and I. We're heading to the range this afternoon, so if you'll all follow me, please."

That evening, the group was leaving the range when a dark blue Chevy Silverado pulled into the parking lot, causing several of the men to start cheering. At the looks from the superstars, a young specialist turned to explain.

"It's the Major's wife. She always brings us something on Friday, ever since the Major got transferred here." Heather McCallister had gotten out of the truck and saw the superstars before turning to her husband.

"Well, now I know why you asked me to bake a few extra batches, James, since God knows Drew can eat a pan by himself." Drew scowled and shook his head.

"Oh very funny, lass." Heather smirked as she pulled out several large plastic containers along with a water cooler full of lemonade. James waited until his men had all been served before escorting Heather over to the WWE group.

"From the pictures I've seen, I believe that you have all met the boss," James joked, earning himself an elbow to the ribs from his wife before she smiled and politely greeted them all.

"I knew that Tribute was going to be here, but somebody forgot to mention that you guys were going to be at the range today," she commented, giving her husband a mock glare, then laughing as he gave her a puppy-dog look. Quickly kissing him, Heather offered more of the sweets she had made to the group. Stu was thankful that he had opted to wear sunglasses and baggy jeans that day, as he doubted that McCallister would appreciate him staring at his wife. Besides, he had no intention of doing anything to hurt Heather, who was innocent in the matter.

On the night of the show, the wives of all of Ft. Dix's officers took over for catering, each of them bringing in dishes. Stu felt his jaw drop when he saw a beautiful rib roast, complete with gravy, horseradish sauce and Yorkshire pudding. Colonel Davis saw his expression and chuckled.

"McCallister's wife made that, Wade," the older man commented. "That woman is a helluva cook who makes that and a pudding dessert for every special occasion here. She holds a full-time job at a factory in Philly, but still tries to do as much as she can around here. That girl has the respect of the men, as they see her as one of them…she was Navy, mind you, but she's still a combat vet with a Purple Heart, so they respect the hell out of her." Stu nodded his understanding and served himself, glancing over to where the McCallisters were laughing with Drew, Ste, Cody, Alberto, Vickie, John and Phil. After the past week, he knew that he and his colleagues could count James as a friend and that he would be seeing a lot of them in the future.


	3. Chapter 3

Truths of July

_Those white lines get drawn into the sun_

_If you ain't got no one to keep you hanging on_

_And there you were like a queen in your nightgown_

_Riding shotgun from town to town_

_Shooter Jennings-4__th__ of July_

Stu's prediction came true as the group that had been assigned to James for Tribute developed a friendship with the McCallisters. He was sitting in the couple's living room with the others as they had been invited over for a July 4th barbeque. Stu was oblivious to the fact that James had noticed him watching every move Heather made and was startled when he heard his name.

"Stu, I need to get some more charcoal from the garage. Can you give me a hand?" The Englishman looked up to see James standing by the door and nodded, following him outside. As soon as the door closed behind them, James cleared his throat and leaned against a table. "I need to ask you a question, Stu, and I want you to tell me the truth without getting angry or upset." Stu was confused as he looked at his friend.

"Sure, mate, what is it?" James took a deep breath and rubbed his chin before continuing.

"How long have you been in love with my wife?" Stu's jaw dropped at the other man's perceptiveness and all he could do was try to stammer out a half-hearted denial. "Stu, a blind man could see how you feel about her. In fact, I think the only person that doesn't know that you're in love with Heather is Heather herself."

"I'm sorry…" James shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest before looking at the green duffel on the workbench.

"It's okay, man. I actually wanted to ask you for a favor." Now Stu was completely dumbfounded, causing a wry smile to cross James' face. "My squad is leaving next week and I haven't told her that the mission…Stu, this is one of those assignments where you earn medals that get sent home to your family." Eyes wide at the implication, Stu slowly nodded his understanding as James continued. "I've been overseas more times than I can count, even once since getting married, but I've never been so apprehensive about a deployment as I am now. For the first time since joining the Army, I'm honestly afraid." Stu took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.

"What can I do to help?" James smiled again, relief clearly etched on his face.

"Watch over her for me. God knows that I hope I'm just being paranoid, but if anything happens to me, please promise that you'll take care of Heather." Stu nodded his agreement and the two men shook hands before grabbing the charcoal and heading back toward the grill.

The rest of the afternoon was punctuated by several people getting tossed into the pool, Heather shaking her head in amusement before her husband grabbed her and started running.

"James, put me down…James, don't you dare…JAMES!" A loud splash echoed and no one could stop laughing until the brunette emerged giving James a mock glare as they climbed out. "You know you're going to pay for that," she said sweetly. He went to embrace her and found himself falling backward into the water. Once he came back up, she smirked. "Did you have a nice trip?" After they all dried off, the group settled down for more delicious food and conversation. It was a happy group that left for the airport two days later, with the superstars heading west for their shows and the soldiers bound for Afganistan.

Three weeks later, Stu and the others were back in New Jersey and Drew had brought Michelle and Heather backstage. The brunette was as friendly and cheerful as ever, so Stu knew that James had not told his wife about his concerns, and it was obvious that she had no real idea of the risks of his mission. The Englishman watched as Heather teased the newly engaged Drew and Michelle and joked around with the others before heading out to her seat to watch the show.

Months passed and Stu learned from Michelle and Drew that James had sent a number of letters and e-mails, so Heather was still in good spirits until what would have been her second wedding anniversary.


	4. Chapter 4

Tragedy and Farewells

_And then they handed her a folded up flag_

_And she held on to all she had left of him_

_Oh, and what could've been_

_And then the guns rang one last shot_

_And it felt like a bullet in her heart_

_Just A Dream-Carrie Underwood_

Stu, Drew and Ste were on their way to the airport one Wednesday morning when the Scotsman's phone rang. Drew grinned when he saw that it was Michelle.

"Good morning, me dear, how…" Before he could finish, Michelle interrupted, stress clearly evident in her voice.

"Drew, thank God, who's with you?"

"Stu and Sheamus, lass. What's wrong?" Both of his friends turned to look at Drew when he said their names.

"It's Heather. You three need to get a hold of John, Phil, Berto, Cody and Vickie. The people from the Army came this morning. James is dead." Drew gasped and ran a hand over his face.

"Oh my God, how is she doing?" Michelle snorted as Drew switched the phone to his other ear. "I'll let the others know and we'll be there as soon as we can." Michelle hung up and Drew let out a deep breath. Stu turned to Drew and leaned forward.

"What's going on, mate?" Drew took another deep breath as he pulled out is iPad.

"I'm changing me flights," he replied. "The two of ye might want ta consider doing the same thing." Stu and Ste exchanged glances then looked back at Drew.

"Drew, yeh haven't even told us what is wrong. What's happened, fella?" Drew closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"James is coming home, just not the way we wanted. Heather was told a wee bit ago." Stu was still confused and Drew lost his temper. "He's coming back in a box, Stu! James is dead." Stu's jaw dropped momentarily before he collected himself and reached down for his own tablet. After they reached the terminal and returned the rental car, Ste paused while Stu put his bag on his shoulder.

"Stu, Ah know that yeh love the lass, but she needs friends right now, nothing else." His friend scowled as they walked towards the elevator.

"I'm aware of that," Stu replied tersely. "I was thinking about a conversation I had with James at the barbeque on the Fourth."

"What did ye talk about?" Drew asked, so Stu explained that James had confronted him about his feelings for Heather and made Stu promise to look after the brunette if anything happened to him. Ste snorted and shook his head.

"How convenient for yeh ta have the dead man's permission ta fuck his wife." The next thing the Irishman knew was that he was on the asphalt holding a hand over his eye as Stu stormed off toward the terminal doors. "Fuck, that hurts," he muttered as Drew looked down at him.

"Serves ye right. If I were ye, I'd get some ice and maybe some baby powder ta cover yer face." They caught up to Stu and Ste quickly apologized. An hour later, the three men boarded a flight to New Jersey, and after picking up another rental, drove toward Heather's home.

Michelle opened the door to let them in, but all four turned when they heard the bedroom door open and saw Heather emerge. She was clad in jeans, a black shirt, boots and a black peacoat. Her dark hair was combed back, and her eyes were covered by a oversized pair of dark sunglasses.

"It's nice to see you guys, but I need to head the store, so I'll see you all later. Make yourselves at home." At the questioning looks, Heather shrugged and commented that she needed to pick up a couple of suits, something that she didn't have in her wardrobe. Before Michelle could object, Stu took the keys from Drew and told her that he needed to pick up a few things himself. She didn't object, and the two came back two hours later, both carrying several bags. Heather took her purchases into her bedroom and didn't reemerge. Eventually, her friends went to check on her and found her asleep, tears still on her face and pillow.

The next two days were a blur for everyone as most of the locker room arrived in Washington, D.C. for the funeral. The ones closest to the McCallisters constantly surrounded Heather, but Michelle, Stu, Drew, Ste, and Vickie that kept her moving, while John and Phil handled the well-wishers. Drew had taken over organizing his colleagues so that the others could focus on the grieving widow. Stu handled the household chores, including the mail. The day before the funeral, Heather was going through the motions of eating when the Englishman entered the kitchen holding several letters. He had recognized the handwriting on one of the envelopes and separated it from the others, placing it on the refrigerator and the rest on the table. Stu watched as the others tried to cajole Heather into eating, but she only took sips of her cola. He could smell the liberal amount of whiskey in the glass and looked at the others helplessly, knowing that it would take a long time for the wounded woman to begin healing, since she refused to show her emotions after the first day.

The day of the funeral was clear and sunny as the group traveled to Arlington for the burial ceremony. Heather was able to keep her composure as she accepted the flag, but the tears started to fall with every report of the rifles. As they were leaving, her legs gave way and she collapsed. John picked her up and carried her to the car as the others followed in silence.


	5. Chapter 5

Intervention

_For years and years, she tried to hide the whiskey on her breath_

_She finally drank her pain away a little at a time_

_But she never could get drunk enough to get him off her mind_

_Whiskey Lullaby-Brad Paisley and Allison Krauss_

It had been over two months since the death of James McCallister and Stu was at his wits end trying to figure out a way to help Heather. He knew that she had buried herself into work during the day and the bottle at night. She looked worse and worse every time he saw her and he knew that it couldn't go on much longer. Stu was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice the three men enter the locker room and sitting down.

"What's eating you, Bennett?" Looking up, Stu could see John Cena, Phil Brooks and Cody Runnels staring at him. Sighing, he ran a hand over his face.

"It's Heather," he replied. At the concerned looks from the others, he took a deep breath and rubbed his temples. "She's having a really bad time of it, mates. She's lost so much weight and every time I see her, I can smell the whiskey all over her." Standing up, he punched the door angrily. "I promised James that I'd watch over her, but I feel that I've failed miserably."

"Why do you think that you've failed anything, Stu?" Cody asked. Stu looked at the others, his emotions clearly evident in his eyes.

"She's not living, she's existing. Her eyes are flat, no spark or anything. I give her a hug and I sometimes think I'm hugging a bloody stick soaked in Jack Daniels. She's smoking again, and surviving on cola, cigarettes and alcohol. I'm at my wits end, Michelle and Drew have just about given up, as she's pushed them away and I'm afraid that if something isn't done soon, it'll be her that we lose next. I just don't have a bloody clue what to do anymore." John punched the table, drawing the attention of the others.

"I'll tell you what we're going to do. After the show tonight, we're all going to go over there to talk to her and try to snap her out of it." Phil looked at John, then the others.

"What, like an intervention?"

"You damned right."

As soon as they pulled out of the arena that night, it didn't take the four men long to get to Heather's. Pulling into the driveway, they could all see the solitary figure in a chair on the porch. They were utterly shocked, as John, Phil and Cody had hoped that Stu was exaggerating. Instead, it looked as though the Englishman was a master of understatement. Heather saw them approaching and stood up, quickly stubbing her cigarette out on her shoe.

"Hey guys, I didn't realize all of you are coming over," she said, opening the front door and ushering them inside. "Give me a few and I'll see what I can whip up for all of you to eat." Stu smiled and shook his head.

"Catering was quite good tonight, so we've all eaten. Why doesn't everyone sit down and relax, as it's been a while since we've had a chance to chat." Confused, Heather took a seat on the sofa, looking at the four men surrounding her , Stu at her side. Phil cleared his throat and got to the heart of the matter.

"How long are going to live on a diet of cigarettes and booze?" he asked bluntly. Heather's eyes widened at first, then narrowed as she frowned at them.

"My diet is none of your business."

"It is when you make Victoria Beckham look morbidly obese." Heather glared at Phil, then shook her head.

"So, I've lost some weight? Big fucking deal, it's my life." Phil snorted and shook his head again.

"What life? You're not living, kiddo, you're existing. Working five days a week and coming home to your new best friend, Jack doesn't count." Heather stood up and moved towards the front door.

"Look, if the only reason you're here is to insult and berate me, then you can leave my home." John stood up and approached the angry woman.

"We're all worried about you, baby girl. That's why we came here." Heather stepped further away and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Look, I'm fine, okay. I don't even get why you give a damn…you were James' friends, not mine. I'm nobody, and I neither need nor want your pity."

"It's not pity, kiddo," Phil replied. "We're trying to get our friend back," Heather shook her head again.

"Guys, look, I know what you're here trying to do, but I'm fine, okay? Now, if you don't mind showing yourselves out, I'm tired and going to bed." Heather turned and started down the hall when Stu's voice stopped her in her tracks.

"Heather, do you think that James would want to see you like this?" She stood there, frozen for a moment before she started trembling and harsh sobs tore themselves from her throat. As she fell to her knees, Stu ran towards her and wrapped her in his arms. Finally allowing herself to release the emotions that she had been suppressing for months, she felt Stu rocking her as she cried. "It's okay, sweetheart, it's going to be all right, just let it out." Continuing to hold her, Stu watched as his friends pulled pillows and blankets from the linen closet. Once she started to calm down, Phil cleared his throat and called her name.

"Heather," he said gently as John and Cody started making up pallets for the four of them, "you know what I'm going to do, don't you?" She looked up, her eyes red from crying and slowly nodded her head. The Chicago native gave her an approving smile as he stood up. "We'll worry about the cancer sticks later, but for now, the booze has to go." She nodded again, too tired to protest when Stu carried her to her bedroom. A few minutes later, he came back out, closing the door behind him.

"She's out like a light, probably for the first time since November." John let out a breath as he leaned back in his chair.

"I know you said she was bad off, man, but I didn't know she was that far gone."

"I warned you, but all we can do now is be here for her" The others nodded and Cody went to pick up groceries for the next few days. By the time the weekend rolled around and they had to go back on the road, she had regained a little of her old spark. It would take time, but she had finally begun to heal.


	6. Chapter 6

Moving On

_If you're reading this there's gonna come a day_

_When you move on and find someone else and that's okay_

_Just remember this I'm in a better place_

_Where soldiers live in peace and angels sing "Amazing Grace"_

_If You're Reading This-Tim McGraw_

Almost sixteen months had passed since the intervention and Heather was busy packing up her house. Even at her lowest point, she had not allowed her grief affect her work and it had paid off. Her company had decided to expand its operations and open a new factory in Florida. The brunette had been promoted and was being transferred down to St. Petersburg to run the plant. It was a very big promotion and she knew that it was the best way to let go and truly move on with her life.

As she began pulling things off of the refrigerator to pack into boxes, Heather was surprised when she felt an envelope under her fingertips. Picking it up, her eyes widened in shock when she saw the handwriting that spelled out her name and address. She realized that this letter must have been up there since around the time that James had died and was simply lost in the confusion. Taking a deep breath, Heather sat down to read her husband's last words to her.

Dear Heather,

As I sit here trying to write this, I find myself at a loss for words, for if this letter is in your hands, then I wasn't able to come home to you. All I can do is tell you how much I love you and no matter what happens, that will never change. Now that I've said this, I want you to move on and let me go. Although I can no longer be there for you, I know that there is someone that loves you just as much as I do and has loved you longer than we've known each other. Since I can't be there and must watch over you from Heaven, I can think of no one better than him for you to move on with your life with. Never doubt how much I love you, but I am gone and I can't stand the thought of you being alone. Let me go, Heather, and for my sake, let yourself love again.

Love Always,

James

Heather wiped the tears from her face as she carefully refolded the letter. She knew that the movers would be there soon to load everything she owned into their trucks to be transported to her new home in Florida. Standing up, the brunette walked into the living room and spotted the boxes marked for her bedroom. She hadn't closed or sealed them yet, so it only took her a minute to find her jewelry box. Folding the envelope, Heather tucked it into the bottom drawer. As she closed it, she could see her wedding ring gleaming from her finger. Taking a deep breath, she slid it from her finger and put it into the box before grapping the packing tape to seal everything she had loaded into the containers.

Heather had just taped off the last box when the doorbell rang. A smile crossed her face at the sight of so many of her friends in front of her with a pair of U-Hauls in the driveway. Stu had made the arrangements, and she would be staying with Michelle until Friday when she would spend the weekend with her friends on the road during the Smackdown tour. Heather was undecided about the prospect of looking for someone new yet, but until she was ready, she would just enjoy the prospect of going out to the shows and having fun with her friends. Besides, she thought to herself, stifling a giggle, Stu still looked damned good in those black trunks of his…not that she'd ever tell him that.


	7. Chapter 7

Confessions

_I've got to take the chance or let it pass by_

_If I expect to get on with my life  
My tears no longer waiting, ohh_

_My resistance ain't that strong_

_But my mind keeps recreating a life with you alone_

_And I'm tired of pretending that I don't love you anymore_

_Anymore-Travis Tritt_

Stu took a deep breath as he walked up the steps of a small house in the middle of Tampa. Looking through the screen door, he could see Heather moving around the kitchen and the smell of whatever she was making was making his mouth water. He lightly knocked before clearing his throat and opening the door. A smile lit up her face when she saw him as she set the pan she'd just pulled from the oven down on the table.

"Sometimes I wonder if you have a built-in 'Heather's cooking' sensor somewhere," she teased when she saw his eyes on the platter of roast beef. He gave her a crooked grin before taking a seat on the sofa. Stu's eyes widened when he noticed that she wasn't wearing her ring anymore, causing her to tilt her head to the side curiously. "Is everything okay, Stu?"

"I couldn't help but notice that you don't wear your ring anymore," he replied as he indicated her bare fingers. Heather flushed before meeting his gaze.

"Right before you guys came over to help me load the trucks, I found a letter on top of the refrigerator. It was from James." She walked toward her bedroom, returning a minute later with a familiar envelope. "Read it," she said softly, "and tell me what you think. Heather watched as he skimmed the letter and handed it back to her."

"It seems like all he cared about was making sure that you would be okay…he wanted you to be happy." She smiled softly and nodded.

"I know. Maybe I should go on one of those dating sites. If nothing else, perhaps I can make some new friends." Stu furrowed his brow and leaned forward.

"I don't think that you need to do that. What about the bloke that James was talking about in that letter?" Heather snorted and shook her head.

"Stu, if that guy did exist, he…it's been almost two years since James died. If he did exist, he's probably already moved on, found a nice girl, maybe even gotten married." She smiled again. "No, I doubt that I'll ever know who James was talking about, so I reckon that I'll need to find someone myself." Stu cleared his throat again and tugged at his collar, which was uncomfortably tight.

"What if that person is right under your nose?" She chuckled and shook her head again.

"That would be a little hard to miss, since I don't have that many single male friends."

"Like whom?"

"Well, there's you, John, Ste, Chuck from work and that ain't happening, PJ, and Nick, but Nick's a man-whore, Chuck's an idiot, you guys are my friends…" Her voice trailed off and she shook her head again. "I'm sure that if one of my friends were interested in me, I would have noticed"

"Would you be interested if one of your friends did feel the way James said about you?"

"I don't know, Stu. I mean, Nick and PJ are a little too goofy…so is John, to be honest. As for you, I'm lucky that you even want to be my friend after the way I acted after James died and Ste says I'm like another sister to him." She looked up at him, taken aback by the expression on his face. "Stu, what's wrong…did I say something…I'm sorry…" He reached over and grabbed her shoulders.

"Oh, for fucks sake, it's me!" Heather's jaw dropped as she looked at him in shock. "I've been in love with you for years, and when I finally got the nerve to say something, it was too late and you were married and happy with a very good man. He was such a good friend, and…" Now it was Stu's voice that trailed off.

"And what, Stu?"

"And when he…passed, you needed a friend, not me being a git and dropping that on your lap."

"How do you feel now, Stu? I mean, this letter is almost two years old and people do change." He took another deep breath.

"My feelings have not, sweetheart. If anything, they've gotten stronger. Heather, I understand if you don't feel the same way and I hope we can at least still be friends." She didn't answer, so he stood up. "I think that it would be best if I leave." When he bent to pick up his keys, she placed her hand over his. Leaning forward, she tentatively kissed him.

"I love you, too," Heather whispered as she pulled back. The brunette gasped as she felt his arms around her waist, lifting her up and kissing her deeply, finally allowing himself to express the years of built-up passion that he's held inside. When the need for oxygen became paramount, they finally pulled away, still holding one another. His lips found hers again and she moaned at the feel of him against her.

"Sweetheart, if…I don't know how much longer I'll be able to control myself." Looking into his eyes, Heather's voice was soft but clear.

"You don't have to control yourself, Stu." He looked at her in wonderment as she kissed him again. "Make love to me, Stu, please." Shifting her slightly, he carried her over to the front door and locked it before walking towards the bedroom.

"Are you certain that this is what you want, love?" Heather nodded and kissed him again.

"Love me, Stu," she whispered.

"Always," he replied as he carried her into the bedroom and kicked the door closed behind him.


	8. Chapter 8

Epilogue- 6 Years Later

_In my dreams I'll always see you soar above the sky_

_In my heart there'll always be a place for you for all my life_

_I'll keep a part of you with me_

_And everywhere I am, there you'll be_

_There You'll Be-Faith Hill  
_

Heather walked toward a familiar spot at Arlington National Cemetary, a small flag and a bouquet of flowers in her hands. She walked slowly to allow her smaller companion to keep up, but knelt once she got to James' final resting spot.

"You were right, as usual," she said with a small smile. "I did find love again, and I am happy." Standing back up, Heather smiled up at Stu and wrapped an arm around his waist. Her smile widened when she felt a small hand slip into her own and looked down into the piercing blue eyes of her four year old son.

"Come on, Jamie, we need to get Daddy to the arena so we can watch him, Uncle Drew, Uncle Stephen and Uncle John play around." Stu shook his head before leaning down to kiss his wife, then led his family from the sacred ground to the parking lot so he could go to work.


End file.
